Sutherland (TNB)
The RPI-13 Sutherland was a 5th-generation Knightmare Frame originally designed and produced by the Holy Britannian Empire as their mainstray forces. In TNB, however, the old frame is now retired and is only utilized in small numbers by the Black Knights as training units, with further production halted. The Sutherland is still actively used, however, for terrorists acts by the "Old Britannia" faction and other anti-government groups. 'Appearance' The same as the original in the anime. The coloring varies depending on the group. 'Description' Designed and developed after the conquest of Japan/Area 11, the RPI-13 Sutherland was in many ways a refinement of its predecessor, the RPI-11 Glasgow, adopting the same pairs of tonfas and Slash Harkens for close-range battle and assaults rifles and cannons for long-range attacks. However, while the Glasgow was designed primarily to combat tanks and other "traditional" ground combat machines, the Sutherland was created with the possibility of battles with other Knightmares in mind. As such, it includes new weapons such as the Chaos Grenade and Jousting Lance among its optional armaments. Besides this basic upgrade in weaponry, its main features are a redesigned, simplified cockpit system with improved life support and enhanced Landspinners, refined for higher speed and efficiency. 'Armaments' ;*Slash Harken : The Slash Harken is the signature weapon of the Knightmare Frame, and is used by almost all KMF models. Originally introduced on the RPI-11 Glasgow, the Harkens are wire-guided projectiles with some form of anchor-like blunt object at its tip. They can be used in multiple ways varying from offensive to defensive, or as a means of transportation via anchoring them in an object, and retracting the cable. Like the Glasgow, the Sutherland is equipped with two Slash Harkens stored in its chest. ;*Stun Tonfa : The Stun Tonfa is the most-commonly used weapon of the Sutherland. Based on the non-stun tonfa originally used by the RPI-11 Glasgow, the Stun Tonfas are basic melee weapons used for close-range combat which can also be used as stun guns. When deployed, the tonfas are essentially used as bludgeons to attack, or to deflect enemy melee attacks for defence. Most Sutherlands are usually equipped with two Stun Tonfas, one on each elbow. ;*Assault Rifle : The Assault Rifle is the Sutherland's main long-range weapon, the same model used by the RPI-11 Glasgow. Essentially an enlargened version of a regular automatic rifle, the rifle's bullets can pierce through most buildings and objects, and several hits are usually enough to take out an enemy Knightmare. However, its bullets are ineffective against new energy shielding technology, such as the Blaze Luminous or Radiation Wave Shielding. The rifle is also equiped with a basic grenade launcher. ;*Chaos Mine : The Chaos Mine is a cylindrical air burst grenade that sprays deadly shrapnel over a small area. It is primarily used to take out multiple enemies at once; however, it is ineffective against new energy shielding technology, such as the Blaze Luminous or Radiation Wave Shielding. One Chaos Mine can be stored in each of the frame's hip compartments ;*Anti-Personnel Machine Gun : The Anti-Personnel Machine Gun is a low-caliber automatic gun that is sometimes mounted beneath the Sutherland's torso. Though it is ineffective against other Knightmare Frames, it serves well for taking out small vehicles or enemy groud troops. ;*Giant Cannon : This hand-held cannon is a long-range weapon sometimes used instead of the assault rifle. It is powerful enough to take out enemy Knightmares in one hit, but cannot fire consecutively and lacks the devasting power of newer 7th-generation weapons such as the VARIS rifle. ;*Jousting Lance : The Jousting Lance is a hand-held melee weapon first used by the RPI-209 Gloucester, which was designed according the the medieval motif of the Britannian military. Made using dense anti-armor materials, the lance can withstand attacks from newer weapons like the Maser Vibration Sword and is commonly used to pierce right through the torso of enemy Knightmares. ;*"Sattel Waffen" Missile Launcher : The "Sattel Waffen" is a basic missile launcher first used by the RPI-209 Gloucester. Each launcher has 6 missile tubes, and two launchers are equipped per frame, one on each side of the cockpit. ;*Sniper Rifle : This sniper rifle is a long-range weapon occasionally used by either the Sutherland or Gloucester. It fires powerful anti-armor bullets capable of piercing through most Knightmare armor, but cannot fire consecutively and requires a gun stand in order to aim properly. 'History' The Sutherland quickly replaced the older Glasgow following its introduction a few years after the invasion of Japan, and by 2017 a.t.b. was the mainstray of the Britannian army. Valued for its efficient and easy-to-use design, the 5th-generation frame was considered the de-facto weapon of choice by the Britannian military at the time, and was used to great success in the field, both on the Britannian front lines and within the already conquered Areas. However, the Sutherland was slowly replaced by its higher performance offshoot frame, the RPI-209 Gloucester, and later by Britannia's new 7th-generation frame, the RPI-212b Vincent Ward, though the older frame was still used in great numbers even in 2018. After Britannia's entrance into the UFN, however, the Sutherland was quickly phased out of production as the Black Knights added the Vincent frames to their own main forces of Type-05 Akatsuki, thereby removing the need for any 5th-generation or below models. The remaining Sutherlands were either reconstructed for non-military purposes or turned into training units for Black Knight cadets. However, many Sutherlands are still used by ex-Britannian army pilots who defected to join the anti-UFN militias collectively known as the "Old Britannia" Faction, as well as by other terrorist groups who oppose the current order. It is believed that these groups obtained their frames not only from the collapse of the former Britannian army, but also from black market military contractors who continue to produce the frame for money despite the ban on all military industry. 'Variants' *'RPI-13b Sutherland Club' Category:Knightmare Frames Category:CG: The Neverending Battle